Chapter 3: The beauty departs, the newcomer arrives
"Master Yun, this girl is truly remarkable, renowned for her virtue and filial piety throughout the ten miles and eight townships. It is a pity that such a good girl bears two scars on her face. In fact, this girl is named Liu Lvzhi, hailing from a neighboring village. Her family was impoverished, and her parents sold her to a wealthy merchant, Qiu Yuanwai, in the city to serve as a laundry maid. Fortunately, this girl was selected to be the personal maid of Qiu Yuanwai's second daughter, and she learned to recognize many characters alongside the young lady. This is somewhat of a connection with you, Master." Aunt Liu said with a teasing tone.
The woman, seeing that Yun Bo had not expressed his stance for quite some time, urged him again, saying: "Master Yun, it has been over three years since Sister Shu left. Before she departed, she sought me out and entrusted me with a matter that I must assist her with after her passing. At that time, I was also reluctant and knew that your feelings for each other were deep, making it difficult to speak of such matters. However, seeing Sister Shu cry like a weeping person, I truly could not bear it, which is why I agreed to help her.
Spring comes and goes, marking yet another cycle; it has been over three years since Zhang's passing. Yun Bozhen has returned from the academy and is seated in the hall, next to him sits a woman of about forty, chattering incessantly. Yun Bozhen merely listens to the woman speak, not revealing any expression, remaining silent and impassive, his gaze devoid of emotion.
Master Yun, you are now thirty years old, which, in the eyes of scholars, means you have passed the age of standing firm. Yet you have no offspring. If, in the future, the lineage of your family truly comes to an end, how will you instruct Miss Shu to face her ancestors? How can she find peace in the underworld? Do you intend for Miss Shu to have no one to honor her during the Qingming and Zhongyuan festivals? Will Miss Shu's heartfelt efforts be in vain?" Seeing this scene, Sister Liu stood up from her stool, growing more and more agitated, not even bothering to wipe the tears from her face.
Yun Bozhen stood in the kitchen, fanning the flames of the stove with a fan, as the strong scent of medicine wafted from the gaps in the lid of the medicinal pot. Over the past three years, Zhang's illness had worsened day by day. Yun Bozhen had repeatedly taken Zhang to the big city in search of renowned doctors in hopes of curing her chronic ailment, but all the physicians who had examined her were powerless to help. Seeing her husband toil tirelessly for her sake, Zhang felt a pang of guilt. After hearing the discouraging words of many doctors, she lost hope and did not wish to press further. Moreover, she noticed that Yun Bozhen, who was in the prime of his life, had already acquired many strands of gray hair. A gentleman stays away from the kitchen; yet, he who had never tended a fire was now entering and leaving the kitchen daily. Her heart was filled with both gratitude and bitterness, and she no longer wished to seek medical help, only wanting to spend more time with her husband. Yun Bozhen's repeated attempts to persuade her were in vain, and he could only watch helplessly as his wife grew more haggard with each passing day, his heart filled with deep sorrow.
Two days later, Sister Liu hurriedly arrived at Master Yun's home and said, "Master Yun, I have indeed found a match for the marriage, but I fear you may not be entirely satisfied."
"My lady, do not speak any further, please do not say anything more," Yun Bo said, choking back tears.
"Yunlang, Yunlang... If I go, you must heed my words and continue the lineage. If not, how can I face our ancestors in the netherworld? I cannot rest in peace even in death..." As Zhang spoke these words, his voice gradually diminished.
If Yunlang and Shurou have left, then you are left all alone in your solitude. I truly cannot bear to see you lonely. If Shurou is gone, you may take another wife; this way, there will be someone to accompany you throughout your life. Let her take Shurou's place and be with you for the rest of your days
Yun Bozhen has been a teacher in the village for three years, earning the admiration of the villagers. Moreover, Yun Bozhen is humble and courteous, treating others with kindness. In these three years, he has successfully taught two scholars, a remarkable achievement that has not occurred in the village for decades. Consequently, the village chief praises Yun Bozhen's knowledge to everyone he meets
Ah, if I were to say that if it were an ordinary young master, a girl like Luozhi becoming a concubine would be considered climbing the social ladder. However, this Third Young Master is usually uneducated, domineering, and lecherous, yet he is protected by his grandmother, making it difficult for Mr. Qiu to intervene. Luozhi, being young and naive, found it impossible to refuse his advances, and in her helplessness, she used a hairpin to scratch her face, leaving two bloody marks. The Third Young Master lost interest upon seeing Luozhi disfigured, and the matter was thus brushed aside. At this point, Sister Liu did not forget to cast a few glances at Yun Bozhen. Luozhi, being young and naive, found it impossible to refuse his advances, and in her helplessness, she used a hairpin to scratch her face, leaving two bloody marks. The Third Young Master lost interest upon seeing Luozhi disfigured, and the matter was thus brushed aside. At this point, Sister Liu did not forget to cast a few glances at Yun Bozhen, noticing that he only slightly moved the corners of his mouth upon hearing about Luozhi's disfigurement. Sister Liu felt that this might lead to something, and could not help but feel pleased. Noticing that he only slightly moved the corners of his mouth upon hearing about Luozhi's disfigurement, Sister Liu felt that this might lead to something, and could not help but feel pleased. She then continued, "Originally, the Third Young Master had stopped pursuing Luozhi, but that damned Mr. Qiu was not pleased. He felt that Luozhi's disfigurement would surely tarnish the family's reputation if she continued to serve the Second Miss, so he intended to send Luozhi off to be paired with a servant. However, the Second Miss is a kind-hearted person and felt that after so many years of service, there was some affection involved. Unable to bear seeing Luozhi end up in such a situation, she quietly took some silver to give to Luozhi's brother and sister-in-law, gathering enough money to redeem Luozhi back." Saying this, she poured herself a cup of water.
"Sister Liu, please wait." Uncle Yun, with tears still in his eyes, turned and entered the room. When he came out, he handed a small money pouch to Sister Liu, and then sat alone in a daze in the hall. Seeing this, Sister Liu also left.
I will entrust this matter to Sister Liu to help me! Yun Bo truly recalled the heartbreaking scene before Zhang's death and the words Zhang had once said to him, and he could not help but be overwhelmed with tears. After hesitating for a long time, he could only agree.
Master Yun, this Green Branch is indeed a virtuous young lady. Although her family has proposed several matches for her, all have fallen through. On one hand, the suitors were not interested once they learned of her disfigurement; on the other hand, there were suitors who were willing, but Green Branch, having high standards, rejected them because they could not even read a single character. As a result, she has now reached the age of nineteen, and is on the verge of turning twenty. Her family is extremely anxious, yet they cannot go against her wishes, so they have no choice but to give up.
Yun Bozhen watched Sister Liu leave, and then thought of Zhang Shi, feeling an overwhelming sense of melancholy. He turned around, took a pot of wine, and went outside, gazing at the sunset gradually disappearing into the mountains as the clouds dispersed.
Upon hearing this, Sister Liu felt a surge of joy in her heart. She touched the jade bracelet given to her by the Zhang family, thinking that she had at least accomplished half of the matter concerning Shumeizi, which could be considered a fulfillment of her duty to Shumeizi. She wiped her eyes and said, "Since Master Yun has said so, I will take care of it." With that, she turned around and was about to step out the door
The neighbors hurriedly arrived at the Yun family, only to see Old Man Yun holding Zhang with tears streaming down his face, his expression vacant. Others tried to pull him away, but to no avail, so they had no choice but to give up.
Well
Yunlang, I have something to say to you, please listen quietly
On this day, Yun Bozhen, as usual, prepared nourishing soup medicine for Zhang Shi and served it to her. Zhang Shi unexpectedly coughed several times, causing Yun Bozhen's heart to ache deeply, with tears streaming down his face. Not wanting Zhang Shi to see him in such a disheveled state, he covered his face with his sleeve to wipe away his tears while blowing on the medicine to cool it down. Seeing Yun Bozhen's thoughtfulness, and recalling that she was now a person halfway to the underworld, she couldn't help but shed tears, resting her head on Yun Bozhen's shoulder, and sobbed, "Yun Lang, you have truly suffered for so long, and I have no way to repay you."
Yun Bozhen held Zhang Shi until sunset. The setting sun filtered through the narrow window, casting a blood-red hue on Zhang Shi's pale face. "Ah, ah, ah..." A wailing cry echoed through the village, causing all who heard it to weep. The villagers guessed the cause of the loud cry with about seventy to eighty percent certainty. They had long known that Zhang Shi was frail and often ill, and since Yun Bozhen had taken Zhang Shi to the city several times in search of medical help, the villagers had seen Zhang Shi in a state of extreme weakness during their visit the day before. Fearing that her time was short, upon hearing the cry, they all set aside their work and made their way to Yun Bozhen's home.
Sister Liu felt as if she had heard celestial music upon hearing these words, taking a deep breath, she picked up the water on the table and gulped it down, fearing that Master Yun might truly change his mind again. She hurriedly said, "Alright! I will take care of it right away!" Before she finished speaking, she was already at the door.
Why say so much nonsense? A couple is one entity. Come, drink the medicine! If you wait any longer, it will get cold
Yun Bozhen listened without changing his expression. Aunt Liu, seeing this, did not feel awkward and continued, "Master Yun, although the green branch has been sold to the Qiu family since childhood, she has always cared for her family. Most of the monthly allowance she receives is sent back home, which has allowed the Liu family to live a somewhat better life. Over the years, the Liu family has saved quite a bit of silver, intending to redeem the green branch, believing that good days were about to come. However, unexpectedly, heaven has not favored them. One day, the third young master of the Qiu family saw the green branch and took a fancy to her, making lewd remarks and later wanting to take her as a concubine." Aunt Liu said this while taking a large sip of tea.
Yunlang, I know that my illness is incurable, do you understand? These past three years have been the happiest and most joyful of my life. Being able to be with you every day, to know you, was once so far out of reach three years ago, but now I have it all. I am very content, yet the only thing that fills me with regret and hatred is my uncooperative body. We have been married for nearly seven years, yet I still cannot give you a son or daughter.
This is unacceptable. On that day, I personally promised Miss Shu. I understand that this matter indeed puts you in a difficult position, and your feelings for Miss Shu are profound; who in this village does not know? Miss Shu is also very perceptive of your character, so how could she not know that you would keep delaying? What you do not realize is how pitiful Miss Shu was at that time; even in her own dire situation, she was still concerned that if she were to leave, you would be left all alone in misery. She urged me to help you find a good girl from a respectable family, insisting that you would definitely be unwilling and asking me to come several times. Over the past few months, I have been visiting every few days. Master Yun, how can you not understand how much Miss Shu has been thinking of you?
Sister Liu saw that after talking for most of the day, Yun Bozhen had not even made a statement. She had just felt a glimmer of hope, but now she felt that hope was dim again. She couldn't help but grip the handkerchief tightly and hurriedly said, "Master Yun! If you ask me, although the green branch has a few scars on her face, it is not too unattractive, and she is such a strong woman..." Sister Liu spoke incessantly, praising the green branch as if there were no one like her in the heavens or on earth. It was not until the sun set behind the mountains that Yun Bozhen finally uttered a sentence, "This matter is indeed a labor for Sister Liu!"
Sister Liu, let's postpone this matter for now! Yun Bo replied sincerely
Listen to me, since the founding of the Song Dynasty, the Yun family has assisted the sovereign with literature. For three hundred years, we have experienced many ups and downs, and by the time it reached your hands, there was only you left. As the daughter-in-law of the Yun family, I have not given birth to any children in the past seven years, which truly brings shame to our ancestors and to you. I originally wished for you to take another concubine to continue the family line, but you have repeatedly refused. At this point, Zhang was once again in tears.
Time flows like water, and in the blink of an eye, three cycles of spring and autumn have passed
You may speak! In fact, Yun Bozhen had not thought much about it. Since the departure of the Zhang family, he has viewed matters of men and women with even greater indifference, yet he still feels unsettled by the words spoken by Zhang before her departure.
Zhang covered Yun Bozhen's mouth with his hand, signaling him not to speak, both of them were in tears.
After Zhang had drunk a little less than half a bowl, she could no longer drink any more. Yun Bo truly had no choice but to let her be.
"Yunlang, can you hold me? I feel a bit weary," Zhang said, her voice now so faint it was almost inaudible. Yun Bozhen felt tears streaming down like a flood breaking through a dam, his heart filled with immense sorrow, his mind blank, as he held Zhang tightly.
"Do not say anything more, do not speak any further, you will definitely get better, we will return to the capital, we will go back to find the best doctor, you will surely recover, you will surely recover..." Yun Bo cried out, unable to hold back his sobs.